


that school project cliché

by Redius



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 08:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11801898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redius/pseuds/Redius
Summary: After Mark Jefferson was arrested, a new teacher takes over for him who has a different way of running the class. When Max is forced to sit with and work with Victoria she realises she isn't that mean.





	that school project cliché

I was walking to class with Kate who was spitballing about what our new teacher will be like. Everyone was shocked when Mr Jefferson was arrested, and no one knew what it was for, though most people say it was drugs.

“I hope they’re nice.” Kate hummed.

“Yeah me too, I’d hate to have a dick of a teacher.” I cringed remembering my teachers from high school. After a short pause, I continue “I hope he won’t put up with Victoria’s shit.”

“She does deserve to be knocked down a peg I’ll admit.” Kate laughed.

“More like an entire ladder.” I mumbled getting another laugh from the blonde.

“Kate!” Brooke’s voice came from behind us as we entered the school building and we both turned around.

“Brooke!” Kate greeted her _‘friend’_ as warmly as ever, thinking that no one else can sense the flirtatious tension between the two was a stupid move, Kate. “What can I do you for?” Kate asked nicely.

“Can I steal you for a sec?” She asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.

“Of course,” Kate beamed, I’ll see you in class Max?”

“Yeah sure.” I grinned.

Walking the rest of the hall and into class, I noticed that the desks had been moved about and folded paper name plates were placed at each seat, everybody had a partner beside them now. This was no doubt the work of our new teacher. Out of instinct, I fumbled my way to my normal desk at the back, checking the two name tags there and sighing when the desk appeared to be no longer mine but instead now belonged to Alyssa and Kate. I couldn't help but feel a twang of disappointment when I saw that Kate wasn't my partner. I continued slowly making my way around the desks, Taylor was paired with Daniel, that can't go well and Chloe was with Rachel and again I was met with a small feeling of jealousy in my gut, all of my friends were taken meaning I’d need to get out my comfort zone. ‘ _As long as I’m not with Victoria I’m sure I’ll be fine’_. Looking at the last desk I squeezed my eyes shut at the sight of the names written, Stella was with Hayden That means  _'Oh god that only leaves me and Victoria.'_ I hurried my way over to the last desk, it was closest to the door  _'Good for if I need to make a quick escape I suppose'_  I noted and glanced at the name tag that said 'Victoria' in bold handwritten letters and next to it in the same handwriting ‘Maxine’  _'ugh'_ I thought to myself as I took my seat, I briefly thought about switching my nameplate with someone but decided against it, the new teacher probably has a copy of their seating plan.

Within seconds the classroom was being filled with students, Chloe and Rachel walked in and found their new seats, high-fiving when they saw they were partnered before coming over and sitting on my desk to chat. As they took they perched on the edge of the broad desk I got out my things, taking a cheap, knock-off sharpie out of my pencil case I scribbled off the ‘ine’ in Maxine.

“Wow, you two are early?” I said shocked, capping the pen and putting it back into my pencil case.

“No, we’re actually still at my house, what you see before you” Chloe gestured to her and Rachel’s bodies “are mere holograms.” She said in her usual mischievous tone, earning a hum of approval from Rachel.

“I set an earlier alarm.” Rachel clarified, pawing her phone out her pocket.

“Good, keep it up.” I smiled.

Taylor and Hayden walked in and as expected Taylor took one look at her partner's name tag and made a disgusted face.

"Gross" She drawled out, "I think a little rearranging is in order" She picked up Daniels name tag and set out to find Victoria’s, she looked at me once she found it. "Sorry, I know you were probably really star struck to get to sit next to Victoria, but you'll have to settle for this freak." She dropped Daniels name tag without a care before picking up and placing Victoria’s at the seat next to hers.

"I like Daniel thank you very much."

"Yeah, you would, weirdo."

Rachel’s head shot up from her phone and Chloe stood from the desk “What’s your problem?” The blue haired girl asked.

“Yeah, knock it off dude.” Rachel threw at her fellow vortex club member, who ignored the both of them, which caused Chloe to advance over to her.

“Hey-“ Chloe was cut off as I grabbed her hand from my seat.

“Chloe no.” The blue haired girl grunted before turning back to me “It’s nothing. You’re too loyal for your own good.” I smiled, though I have to admit, it is nice having friends like them, who you know would jump in a heartbeat to defend you.

Rachel grinned at the back of Chloe’s head before launching herself off the desk and onto her girlfriends back, instantly breaking the tension.

“Rachel!” Chloe shouted while stumbling forward, once she regained her balance she was giving Rachel an involuntary piggy back and the both of them were laughing as the bell finally rang.

The other students had already taken their place, Daniel smiled at me before sitting and taking his things out, at the desk next to me, Taylor and Victoria were sniggering about something but fell silent when the new teacher walked in. He was, admittedly, astoundingly attractive, wide set shoulders complimented by a square jaw that sprouted a full, well-groomed beard, his short, thick hair looked windblown and was a dark black with flecks of grey cutting through every here and there.

"Good morning class" His voice was deep and silky.

"Morning daddy" Taylor drawled from her seat, her head resting in her hands, elbows on the table.

He looked unimpressed by Taylors greeting "You'll do well to refer to me as Mr Welsh." He cleared his throat taking a seat at his desk, picking up a sheet of paper "And you are?"

"Taylor." She winked. 

 _'Unbelievable'_ I thought to myself

He looked over Taylor, then to Victoria and then the paper in his large hand "Ah yes, Ms Christensen and I presume that your partner is Daniel, Daniel DaCosta?" He queried the girl.

"What?" Victoria blurted

"Oh, you're not Daniel?" Mr Welsh teased "Then who are you?"

Victoria eyed the new teacher "Victoria Chase."

"Ah" he stood, moving to the front of his desk before leaning back on it, the sheet of paper still in hand "well then, Victoria, could you do an old man a favour and sit in your proper, assigned seat?"

"What?" Victoria looked at Taylor, then to Mr Welsh

Mr Welsh noticed the confusion "Switch with Mr DeCosta please."

Victoria turned to Daniel, then laid eyes on me to the point I could almost feel the daggers being shot at me. She and Daniel did as they were told, switching much to everyone's dismay, except Chloe – I could hear her stifling laughter at her desk.

“Alright, I trust everyone else is in their assigned seats?” Mr Welsh looks around, as if expecting an answer “Good… Now I want you to all pull a word out of this cup,” He picks up a green plastic children’s cup with strips of paper in it “The word you get will determine the theme of your project you and your partner will be working on for the following weeks.” He hands the cup to Taylor first “So, make it a good one.”

Taylor picks out a strip and curls her lip up at it, _‘It mustn’t’ve been good”,_ she then passes the cup to me, but before I can pick one out Victoria snatches it from my grasp.

“Nice try, Max, but if we’re going to be stuck together for the next few weeks I’m choosing the topic, knowing you, you’ll fuck it up.” I sigh and just accept Victoria’s wishes. She reaches into the cup with delicate fingers that have the most pristine manicure I have ever seen, her nails short, shiny and red. She fishes around for a few seconds before deciding on one and pulling it out, giving the cup back to me she unfolds the paper as I hand the cup backwards to Rachel who thanks me.

“Well?” I question “What does it say?”

“Nature.” Victoria states with a tone covered in disappointment

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Not that it’s any of your business but, I’m better at portraits and city work, my eye is most professional for finding shots pinned within the busy concrete jungles.”

“Uh-huh, I see…” I take the strip from her “Well, I like this theme.”

“Ugh, of course you do, hippie.” The blonde snarled.

By the end of the lesson everyone was either loving or hating their theme and as the bell rang Victoria begin to glide out the door followed swiftly by Taylor.

“Victoria!” I projected my voice for her attention, which stopped her in her tracks halfway out the door and sent Taylor barrelling into her back and beginning to word vomit apologies, Victoria silenced them by holding a hand up, her back still facing me she spoke.

“What is it, Max?”

“Is it alright if I come over to your dorm later to work on this? Or you could come to mine?” I could basically hear the eye roll Victoria undoubtedly gave.

“Bit eager there, we’ve got six weeks.”

“I thought it’d be good to start early and finish early?”

Victoria sighed “Fine, but you come to me, 7 pm.” She went to start walking again but stopped in the doorframe, causing Taylor to smash into her again. Victoria turned to face me “And do _not_ be late.” And with that, she was gone.

Chloe and Rachel walked up behind me, Rachel was smirking, which could only mean she was up to mischief.

“You want me to deal with her later?” She asked. Rachel was undoubtedly the most ‘cool’ in our little group, she’s a member of the vortex club and hangs out with them regularly and gets us invites to parties and stuff, which would be cool I guess, if I liked parties.

“Nah it’s alright.” I slung my shoulder bag over my head “I’ll just put up with her for a few weeks then I won’t ever need to speak to her again.”

As we began walking out of the classroom Chloe asks what theme I got.

“Nature.” I reply with a smile on my face “So not anything too foreign from my usual work.”

“I bet Vicky was _really_ happy with that.” Chloe snickered.

“She looked like she was ready to just drop out, I won’t lie.” All three of us laughed at the thought.

As we reached the dorms we were in the middle of having our usual banter back and forth between the three of us when Courtney and Taylor hurried up to us.

“Rachel, you’re needed for a vortex meeting, like, now.” Courtney spoke quickly.

Taylor was next to speak, grabbing onto Rachel’s arm “Yeah you gotta leave these losers and come with us right now before Nathan gets mad.”

Rachel sighed turning to Chloe and me before shrugging. “Sorry guys, duty calls I guess.” She leans in and gives Chloe a quick kiss goodbye before being rushed away with the two vortex goons.

“We are not losers.” Chloe grumbles, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, okay, Chloe.” I laughed. “Well, what do you want to do ‘til Rachel’s back?”

Chloe hums in thought before beaming and voicing her request loudly “Want to take cool pics of me shredding it on my board?” I chuckled at this, it was just so _Chloe_.

“Of course I do.”

“Yeah!” Chloe fist pumps the air before running to her truck to get her board, me sloppily chasing her.

We spent much longer than we should have zipping around the front of the school on Chloe’s board, she taught me how to ride it through much frustration, but I still am in need of a lot of practice before I could even call myself a ‘learner’. Before we knew it Rachel was walking towards us, greeting us with a wave and a loud;

“Hey!”

“Hi Rachel,” I greeted her while Chloe just gave a small wave, too engrossed in trying to land a new trick she’d been working on. “How was the meeting? Got any inside scoop for us?”

“Nah not really, it was pretty lame. I wouldn’t even call it a meeting. Nate just wanted me to get stuff of Frank for our next rager, ‘cause Frank doesn’t want to see him anymore. Like he could have just texted me to ask instead of gathering the whole club.” Rachel was watching Chloe as she spoke.

“What’d he do?” I asked the taller girl.

“I don’t even know, something about calling his dog a stupid mutt? Or calling Frank a stupid mutt? Something like that I don’t really know.” Chloe had a momentous fall at the end of Rachel’s sentence, falling off her board half way down the railing of the stairs up to the school and landing on her back with an ‘ooof’ and an ‘I’m okay’ at the bottom of the steps.

“You’re doing amazing sweetie!” Rachel mocked, putting her hands up to her mouth to make some sort of human megaphone effect.

“Are you alright?” I voiced my concern for my best friend.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Chloe was standing, stretching out her back.

Rachel turned to me “Were you not to be at Vic's dorm at 7?”

“Yeah, why? What time is it?” I started to panic, upsetting Vic could throw this whole project down the drain for weeks before she forgives me.

“Quarter past.” Rachel shot back, looking worried but with a hint of humour in her voice.

“ _fuck_ ” I started jogging towards the dorms, not wanting to waste any more time.


End file.
